Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Things I Strive For As A Writer: Patience

(Part 2 of a series about what attributes I try to develop as a writer)

In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker crash lands on a swampy planet and proceeds to have a whine fest about how this crazy little alien is wasting his time.

Luke: Stop being annoying, little alien! I don't have time for this! I'm looking for a great warrior.

Little Alien: Ohhh, you're looking for Yoda.

Luke: You know him? Take me to him!

Of course, we all know the little alien is Yoda, and Luke just looks silly because he's all in a huff and whiny and impatient when his answer's right smack in front of him. And then when he finds out, he still hasn't learned his lesson.

Yoda: I can't teach him.

Luke: Teach me! Now! Ben, tell him! *wahhhhh*

Yoda: He has no patience, always looking to the future instead of what's right in front of him. Just like his father, he is.

Luke: Teach me! *wahhhh*

I like to make fun of Luke, but in reality I see a lot of myself in him when it comes to patience. There are things I want and I want them NOW and why in the world should I have to wait? Doesn't Yoda see how important I am? Duh.

I'm not proud of my tendency to impatience, and it's something I've been trying to mend since I started seriously writing. You know, five years ago.

Most of the time, I've failed miserably at it, if I'm being honest. Only recently do I feel like I've gotten any firm grip on patience, and it's really come down to one thing:

Living in the present.

I'm not saying you shouldn't have goals for the future or a general life direction; I'm just saying the only time you have true control over is now. This very second. Do the things you can do now to reach your goals and don't worry about the rest.

It will come, if you keep doing what you can now.

It's a hard thing to do, especially when so many of my goals are still in the future. Sometimes I wish I could just skip all these little steps and get there. I want a shortcut. Sometimes I think I'm ready when I'm not. Then I end up running off to fight Vader and losing my hand.

I'm a slow learner.

I want to be Future Me so badly! But then I realize being me now is the only way to get there. Putting in the work. Taking the Journey. You know, all that junk you hope doesn't apply to you but actually does.

But here's the kicker—when I have patience it actually makes the journey easier. When I focus on my daily tasks, find peace in the idea that it's not now but it will be someday, I'm a much happier person. I don't feel that nagging restlessness, that dissatisfaction that comes from wanting things you can't have. I just do my thing, and somehow it all works out.

Now if only I could be patient more often. I guess I still need more Jedi training...

This post could have been about me. Me and Patience? Ha ha. But in the last couple of years (not only with writing, but with other things I've had to deal with), I've finally had to learn how to have patience. Or at least MORE patience than I used to. ;-) Focusing on the now is definitely a major key to patience. Good luck to us both! :-)

What's funny is I finally let my 6-yo watch the original Star Wars trilogy a few weeks ago, and I turned to my hubby and said, "Do you remember Luke being so whiny?"

I have a hard time with patience in general, but it's gotten much better after having kids - they've taught me that time is more like a general guideline than a definite construct. I'm still early for everything though!

This is SUCH a great post--thank you so much for the reminder. And don't worry, the rest of us are impatient too--probably more so. I can't WAIT to read your book someday. *shakes fist at the slow publishing industry* :)

You are nothing like Luke. You own a hairbrush and have actual screen presence. Also, I don't think people are rooting for your enemies (That's the US version of "root", if you're an Aussie, stop laughing and substitute "cheer for" or "encourage".)

Ahh, starwars. Doesn't it have an example for everything? Patience, endurance, not accidentally commiting incest (that would make an interesting blog post), switching from the dark side to the good side, learning to love something/one more than yourself, and quitting when you're ahead. Or behind. (As in, prequals = bad idea. well, cool idea, bad execution.)Anyway, I'm in an impatience funk right now, so thanks for posting this. Sometimes we just need to know we're not the only ones, you know? Maybe there are other people just as wildly impatient/mildly insane as we are!

Thank God for you! I need the same patience... I am so frustrated sometimes, especially when I go months working, and have no time or strength for my writing, and when I do have time to write, I can't sit still.

I am looking forward to summer... but I have several more weeks of paper grading before I get there. Must be patient...

Natalie Whipple

I am an author and card-carrying nerd. My favorite areas of the nerd realm include anime, Korean dramas, good cheese, and playing mmorpgs with my family. I take pride in writing the weirdest books I can think of, and my novels TRANSPARENT and BLINDSIDED, HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW, and RELAX, I'M A NINJA are just some of my wacky ideas.